Dive Brief:
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The 4% or so lift in overall retail sales expected this holiday season will be dwarfed by the growth in online sales, according to Forrester Research.
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E-commerce will grow at three times the rate of in-store sales or some 11% in November and December, the research firm says.
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And while Black Friday as a shopping event is fizzling for many shoppers, Cyber Monday remains a big draw for online shoppers, according to Forrester.
Dive Insight:
E-commerce is growing in general, but it’s even more of a force at the holidays, Forrester Research finds. And personalization via email to a retailer’s most loyal customers remain the most important tool in this environment, despite the growth in mobile.
While retailers themselves are helping mute the importance of Black Friday by beginning their holiday promotions early and continuing them well into the season, Cyber Monday remains an event. That could be in part because the frenzy created by door busters and the physical crowding in stores isn’t a factor when shopping online. Last year’s Cyber Monday saw $2.5 billion in online sales in the U.S.
“Customers had fewer negative associations with Cyber Monday than with Black Friday,” Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru says in the report.
